Washing and conveying mechanism for machines for washing and drying sensitized paper.



- R, ENG-W1 WASHING AND CONVEYING MEOHANISM FOR MACHINES FOR WASH ING AND DRYING SBNSITIZED PAPER. APPLICATION FILED 83121. 17, ms.

3 SHEETSSHEET '1.

' INVENTOR Q zfafir 5 fi/von ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 10,191 L ITNESSES R. B. snow. WASHING AND CONVEYING MECHANISM FOR MACHINES FOR WASHING AND DRYING SENSITIZED PAPER APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17. 1913.

- Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOH 7 ATTORNEYS @5 77 .5 fine/V WITNESSES #7126227 R. B. SNOW WASHINGAND CONVEYING MECHANISM FOR MACHINES FOR WASHING AND DRYING SENSITIZED PAPE APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1913.

1,1 1s,943-.- Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

' WIT/V588 s I INVENTOI? %%}Z fi OBL-ZT fi. 5/1 0/4/ M By 4TTORNEV8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT BUBGES SNOW, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WASHING AND CONVEYING MECHANISM FOR MACHINES FOR WASHING AND DRYING SENSITIZED PAPER. I

I I Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 17, 1913. Serial No. 790,245.

Patented Nov. 10, 1914;

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known t at 1, ROBERT B. SNOW, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a-new and Improved Washing and Conveying Mechanism for Machines for Washing and Drying Sensitized Paper, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention has special reference to an improved washing and conveying mechanism for machines employed for washing and drying sensitized pa er, and more particularly to a machine w ich is adapted for effectively washing and drying sensitized paper or prints in long or short e ngths and or dischar 'ng them on to a: platform or table after t ey are dried.

A further object of the invention is comprehended in the provision of a machine of i the character described which embodies a supporting frame in which is mounted a pan designed to contain a washing fluid, such as water, while a foraminous or screen drum is rotatably mounted in a partly submerged position in said fluid and desi ed by means of a plurality of carrying elts arranged in a novel manner, to receive the sensitized paper from a suitable source, or fed in any desired manner as from a printing machine, to cause said paper to pass under the drum while supported by certain of the belts for washing the paper, while a heating cylinder is also rotatably mounted in the frame and by means of a' further arrangement of belts and an endless apron is caused to eflectively receive the paper after having been washed and to dry and deliver the same at the opposite end of the machine.

A still further object of the invention is comprehended in the provision of a novel form of spraying a paratus or arrangement of pipes containe in the foraminous or screen drum so as to thoroughly wash the paper and renew the washing fluid-continuously, as well as to assist a take-ofi device to cause the paper to be delivered between the apron and belts which pass around the drying cylinder, the pa er being subsequently deposited upona oldable table carried at the discharge end of the fran: 3, while means are further provided for taking up the slack in the apron so as to effectively cause the proper feeding of the paper against crimping or folding, in addition to means for causing the thorough absorption of the washing fiu1d and consequently effect the proper drying of the paper.

Withthe above andother objects in view, the invention resides more particularly in the peculiar comb'nation and arrangement ofparts which wi 1 be illustrated as a'pie f'erred embodiment in the accompanying drawings and-described in the specification. Reference is to be had to the accompanymg drawings forming apart of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corres onding parts in all the views, and in whicli Figure 1, is a plan view of the improved machine for was paper, with certain o the parts broken away and shown In section, while other ofthe parts, and articularly the carrying belts, are indicate in dotted lines to show thearrangement thereof in'plan; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on theline 2-2 in Fig. 1'; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the power roller of the device, illustrating the manner of ce tion of t e carrying belts; Fig. 4 is an or drying cylinder, with a portion thereon brohen away to showthe diametrically opposite openings in .the opposed ends of the view of an adjustable bearing for an idler roller designed to take up the slack in the drying apron.

In the illustrated embodiment of theinvention, the device comprises a supportin frame 10 which may be of any approve type but which preferably consists of a series of vertical supports 11 braced at the in and drying sensitized 8O 9 ooving the rollers fonthe re- ,en arged perspective view of the heating j cylinder; and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective top and bottom and at intermediate points by horizontal struts 12 so as to be light and strong and permit convenient access to the working parts of the machine, to be herein-T after more fully described. .The frame structure may be divided into two sections, being the section 13 and the section 14, in the section 13 of which, and upon suitable longitudinal braces 15, a foraminous or screen drum 16 is'rotatably journaled and tained in a pan 17. This pan is also supported by the frame, the section 13 of which is shown as being at a lower elevation than -partly submerged in the washin fluid contatably journaled therein below its axial center, the drum will be partly submerged. so that the washing fluid will cover approidmately one halfof its circumference. The washing drum 16, which is of a cylindrical form, is preferably constructed of solid end plates 18 connected by a lateral section 19 of screen or wire mesh, and it will be found that this produces a very rigid structure, sufficient to maintain the drum truly cylindrical so that the paper will feedevenly around the same without being torn or disfigured.

In order to supply. the washing fluid or water continuously to the pan and drum, the drum at its end portions is rotatably journaled upon a transverse supply pipe 20 suitably supported by the longitudinal braces 15, said supply pipe having near each end pairs of oppositely extending radial branches 21 connected by curvedsections 22 preferably covering an arc of substantially 180,

while a series of longitudinal ipes 23 connect the extremities of the ra ial branches 21' and the curved. portions 22 at points equi-distantly spaced therearound. These pipes are located in close relative position to 1 the lateral section of the drum and are disposed below the axis of the drum, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, while each pipe is provided with a plurality of openings through which the washing fluid or water is forced under pressure in the form of sprays so as to thoroughly wash the paper interiorly. As the paper passes around the drum and is submerged within the fluid containedin the pan 17, it is obvious that the exterior face of the paper will also be thoroughly washed, and as the washing fluid or water is continuously supplied t rough the pipe 20, the outlet is made through a pipe 25 so as to continuously renew the fluid for the proper washing of the paper by removing the, foreign matter and chemicals deposited in the pan.

In order to feed the paper to the drum and pan forming the washing mechanism of the machine, a roller 26 is rotatably 'journaled in the frame immediately above the receiving end of the pan and transversely of the frame while slightly above the roller 26 and outwardly of the receiving end of the frame a roller 27 is journaled, and directly above the roller 27 a roller 28 is journaled in spaced relation to 'the roller 27, while a smaller roller 29 is similarly journaled in the frame with its axis in horizontal aliigement to the axis of the roller 26, but such roller is located a spaced distance inwardly of the roller 26. Mounted at a spaced distance above the opposite end of the pan is a roller 30 and horizontally alined therewith b'ut j ournaled in the section 14 of the frame 10, in contra-distinction to the fact that the aforesaid rollers are journaled in the section 13, is a power roller 31, such roller being .spaced from the roller 30 and having journaled directly therebeneath and adjacent the bottom of the frame a roller 32, while di rectly below the axis of the pan and drum and spaced from the pan, a roller 33 is jour naled. All of these rollers are provided with a series of peripheral grooves 34 located in spaced arallel relation, they being of uniform width throughout so that the alined grooves receive a plurality of spaced and endless belts or ta es 35 which are on gaged around the ro lersend which are held from longitudinal displacement or shifting against the shoulders 36 produced by the grooves. (Ihese belts are engaged over the roller 26 and pass in an inclined position, as shown at 37, over the roller 27 and from the roller in the opposite directionpass beneath and around the drum 16 and into the pan 17. The belts are held in snug engagement with the drum and from their sub-- merged position pass over the rollers 30 and 31 so, that the portions 38 of the belts are horizontally disposed to prevent-creasing or folding of the paper at this point. The belts after passing over the roller, 31 extend downwardly around the rollers 32 and 33 and then'upwardly in an inclined position around the roller 27 in the aforesaid manner.

A series of endless belts 39 are engaged around the rollers 28 and 29 and by reason of the fact that the roller 29 is located below the plane of location of the roller 26 horizontally and at a greater distance from the roller 28 than the roller 26, the lower la s of the endless belts 39 will contact with t e roller 26. Thus, as rotation is imparted to i said rollers and belts by driving the power roller 31, as by means of a pulley 40 and a belt 41, in a clockwise direction in the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the parts will be moved-in the directions indicated by the arrows.

In order to drive the endless belts 39 a cross belt 42 is engaged around the rollers 27 and 28, respectively, thus causing said rollers to rotate in opposite directions toward each other whereby, as the sensitized paper is fed between the rollers and between the belts at the point where they converge to contact with the roller 26, the paper will sisted by the spraying action, tending to mums 3 force the paper thus washed away, from the drum, and such take-off device embodies a brush 43 which is held stationary adjacent to the periphery of the drum slightly above the axis ,of the latter and preferably fixed to the opposed ends of the'pan or vat 17,

located one in each end 51 diagonall *fiosite or at diametrically opposite -si thus serving to prevent the paper from ad.- hering to the drum and passing around with the latter as the drum revolves. In the further travel of the paperthrougih the machine means are provided for drying the same, and in the present instance a drying cylinder 44 in "the form of a metallic shell is rota.- tably journaled in the section 14 in a plane above the washing drum and which also serves the function of a conveying member to deliver the paper in a smooth condition. For this purpose't'he section 14 of the supporting frame 10 is provided with opposed longitudinal braces 45 as an illustrative manner of supporting the cylinder upon a gas supply pipe 46 carried thereby, such supply pipe receiving its supply in any suitable manner at one end, as from abranch pipe 47 fitted thereto by a can 48,.while said pipe 46 is in turn provided with a pinrality of burners 49 extending'upwardly so as to uniformly heat the cylinder as the latter rotates when the gas exuding from the urners is ignited. In order to furnish the proper draft to insure proper combustion withinthe' cylinder, .the heads or ends of the cylinder are provided with openings 50 preferably of segmental form as shown more particularly in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and

es of thus creating a torie axis of the cylinder ft throughthe cylintuous path for the dra der. e

In order to convey the sensitized paper thus Washed and removed from the drum'by the take-ofi' devige and to'pass the same under and partly around the cylinder to be dried, an endless drying apron 52 after passing over the rollers 30 and 31 to overlie the portions 38 of the belts 35 which are horizontally disposed in arectilinear direction for some distance, so as to assist in. smoothing the paper in passing over-the said rollers, passes under the cylinder 44 in contr. .o therewith. absorbent material or cloth, such as cot-ton duck or canvas. and after being passed over the rollers 30 and 31, extends beneath and in contact with the cylinder '44 and from thence passes upwardly andin contact with an idler or tightening .roller 56, subsequently passing upwardly and over a roller 55 journaled at the discharge end of the frame and preferably in a plane higher than the roller 54, over which the apron afterward passes. The apron then passes downwardly beneath and in contact with a small roller 5.3 located on a plane below [the This apron is preferably of. some [rollers .30 and .31 and in ciose proximity to the take-eff brush 43, so that the belts '35 and the apron 52 will converge toward their points :of contact with the roller 30 and assistin causing the paper to evenly pass on to said roller last mentioned. The roller .54 is tion 14: of the frame above the section 13 and is located slightly irearwardly of the small roller .53, so as to contact the apron .on an incline. 3

The idler or tightening roller ,56 is jour 52 at the inner side of .the latter and at the part thereof between .the cylinder and roller 55, .and in order to shift the roller 56 toward and away from the apron at this point its shaft 57 is rotatably mounted at its iends in bearing blocks 58 longitudinally adjustable in slotted beanings .59 fixed as by means of extensions 60 :to' the i enticalstruts 11 of the section 14 of the frame 10 at the discharge end of the machine. These bearings extend toward the receiving end thereof, while swiveled to the slidable ibearing blocks 58 and threaded through the end portions 61 of the bearings 59 are adjusting screws 62 having suitable hand wheels'62loy which they may be manipulated or rotated. Thus, by adjusting the bearing blocks 5.8 longitudinally the roller 56 may be moved toward and away from the apron 52and by causing the apron to extend out of a line .de scribed by the shortest path between the points of contact ref-the apron with the c lindernnd roller .55, the apron may be atig tened by taking up the slack, and also caused ,to be pantly deflected downwardly as indicated at 63 so-as to more positively insure of the discharge or'release of the .paper at this point. I

The cylinder .and apron cotipe'rate to cause the feeding of the paper in the manner last mentioned, but such operation is positively effected by means .of a plurality of endless .belts .64; which are passed around and in spaced relation thereto, such belts'64 then traveling beneath the cylinder out.- wardly .of the. apron and assisting in holding the apron in cldse contact with the cylinder for thorough drying thereof and the paper which passes betweenthe belts and the apron, it being here explained that the tioned to the sizes of the drum and cylinder and also to the length of time that the. paper is subjected to the wash and. the intensity of-the heat within the cylinder. The belts 64 after passing beneath the cylinder 44 are then passed over and around a roller 65 journaled transversely of the frame at the journaled at the adjacent end of the see are located within the area of the frame and degreein which the paper is washed and dried is controlled by orrelatively propornaled in the frame .to contact with the apron the roller 31 so as to :engage alternate i grooves 34: in the latter betweenthe i-belts 35 discharge end of the machine in a plane slightly above the axis of the cylinder and beneat and rearwardly of the roller 56, the belts then passing downwardly around a roller 66 journaled at the bottom portion of the section 14 of the frame substantially below the axis of the cylinder, and then angularly upward and around the roller 31 as heretofore explained. Owing to the fact that the apron and belts 64: are spaced apart at their points of contact with the rollers 56 and 65, the paper after being dried is freed from the apron at this point and passes over the roller 65 and is discharged.

In order to collect the paper thus delivered by the machine, in, short or long lengths, and to obviate the objections in handling the same in th cumbersome manner .as now done, a foldable platform or table 67 is hinged as shown at 68 to the frame slightly below the highest point of the periphery of the roller 65 and in close proximity to the latter. form may be swung downwardly against the discharge end of the frame or may be held in a horizontal position as by means of supporting braces 69 pivoted at their outer ends to the table and having their upper and inner ends provided with headed studs 70 engageable with slotted brackets 71 fixed to thle vertical struts 11 at the discharge end .of the machine, suchbraces when disengaged from the brackets permitting the table to be lowered to occupy a minimum space when not in use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by LetterjsliPatent is 1. In a machine for washing sensitized paper, the combination with a supporting frame and a fluid containing pan supported thereby; of means for causing the paper to pass through the fluid in the pan and means for removing and deflecting the paper from said moving means at the discharge side of the pan, said removing and deflecting means including outwardly-acting sprays.

2. In a machine for treating sensitized paper, the combination with a supporting frame and a fluid containing pan supported thereby; of means for causing, long or short lengths of paper to pass through the fluid in the pan, means for removing and deflecting the paper from said moving means at the discharge side of the pan, a conveying cylinder to deliver the same in a smooth condition also supported by the frame and means for receiving the paper from said removing and deflecting'means and passing the same around the cylinder.

3. The combination with a supporting frame and a pan supported therein; of a foraminous drum rotatably journaled within the area of the pan, a liquid spraying apparatus mounted in a fixed position within the This table or plat,

drum, feeding devices for causing the passage of short or long lengths of material to be washed through the fluid contained in the pan by passing the same around the drum and means the drum to deliver the same in a flat condition.

4. The combination with a supporting frame and a pan supported therein; of a foraminous drum rotatably 1ournaled within 75 the area of the pan,

a liquid spraying apparatus mounted in a fixed position within the drum, feeding devices for causing thepassage of short or long lengths of material to be washed through the fluid contained in the pan by passing the same around the drum, a takeoff device for removing from the drum and causing the same to com tinue with said feeding devices, said spray ing apparatus also serving to deflect the material'from the drum and means for discharging the paper.

5. The combination with a supporting frame and a pan supported therein; of a forarninous drum rotatably journaled within the area of the pan, a li uid spraying apparatus mounted in a fixed position within the drum, feeding devices for causing the passage of material to be washed through the fluid contained in the pan by passing the same around the drum, a take-off device for removing the material from the drum and causing the same to continue with said feeding devices, said spraying apparatus also serving to deflect the material from the 1 drum, other feeding devices cooperating with said first-named feeding devices to r move the material therefrom. after digcharged from the drum and pan and a drying apron operable conjointly with said last- 1( named feeding devices to receive the material and deliver the same in a dry condition.

6. The combination with a supporting frame and a pan supported therein; of a foraminous drum rotatably journaled within the area of the pan, a liquid spraying apparatus mounted in a fixed position within the drum, feeding devices for causing the passage of material to be washed through the fluid contained in the pan by same around the drum, a take-o device for removing the material from the drum and causing the same to continue with said feeding devices, said spraying apparatus also serving to deflect the material from the 1 drum, other feeding devices cooperating with said first-named feeding devices to remove the material therefrom after discharged from the drum and pan, an apron operable conjointly with said last-named 3 feeding devices to receive the material and deliver the same and means for. tightening said apron.

7. The combination with a supporting frame and a pan supported therein; of a to receive the paper from 70 the material v assing the 1 aim x foraminous drum rotatably journaled within the area of the pan, a liquid spraying apparatus mounted in a fixed position within the drum, feeding devices for causing the passage of material to be Washed through the fluid contained in the pan by passing the same around the drum, a take-off device for removing the material from the drum and causing the same to continue with said feeding devices, said spraying apparatus also serving to deflect the material from the drum, other feeding devices cooperating with said first-named feeding devices to remove the material therefrom after discharged from the drum and pan, an apron operable conjointly with said last-named feeding devices to receive the material and deliver the same and a collapsible table onto which the material is discharged and collected.

8. The combination with a supporting frame and a pan supported therein; of a foraminous drum rotatably journaled within the area of the pan, a liquid spraying apparatus mounted in a fixed position within the drum, feeding devices for causing the passage of material to be washed through the fluid contained in the pan by passing the same around the drum, a take-ofi' device for removing the material from the drum and causing the same to continue with said feeding devices, said spraying apparatus also serving to deflect the material from the drum and other feeding devicescooperating with said first-named feeding devices to remove the material, therefrom after discharged from the drum and pan.

9. A machine for the purpose described, comprising a frame, a semi-circular pan supported in the frame, a screened drum having closed end walls, said drum being rotatably mounted to project into the pan, a supply pipefixed centrally to the drum and having branches located in close proximity to the periphery of the drum and dischargingoutward through the same, a drain for the pan, a plurality of rollers rotatably carried by the frame, endless feeding belts engaged around the rollers, certain of said belts passing through the pan and under the drum to convey the paper through the washing fluid and means for causing the paper to be removed from the drum at the discharge side of the latter.

10; A madhine of the class described, comprising a frame, a semi-circular pan supported in the frame, a screened, drum having closed end walls, said drum being rotatably mounted to project into the pan, a supply pipe fixed centrally to the drum and having branches located in close proximity to the periphery of the drum and discharging outward through the same, a drain for the pan, a plurality of rollers rotatably carried by the frame, endless feeding belts engaged around the rollers, certain of said belts passing through the pan and under the drum to convey the paper through the washing fluid and means for causing the paper to be removed from the drum at the dlscharge side of the latter, certain of the belts at the IBCGiViIlg end of the machine being disposed in converged relation toward the receiving point.

11. A machine for treating sensitized paper, comprising a frame, a semi-circular pan supported in the frame, a screened drum having closed end walls, said drum being rotata ly mounted to project into the pan, a supply pipe fixed centrally to the drum and having branches located in close proximity to the periphery of the drum and discharging outward through the same, a drain for the pan, a plurality of rollers ro' tatably carried by the frame, endless feeding belts engaged around the rollers, certain of said belts passing through the pan and under the drum to convey the paper through the washing fluid, other rollers rotatably journaled in the frame, endless belts engaged around certain of said rollers and an apron engaged around certain of said rollers and cooperating with the belts to remove the paper from the drum.

12. A machine for Washing sensitized paper, comprising a frame, a semi-circular pan supported in the frame,a screened drum having closed end walls, said drum being rotatably mounted to project into the pan, a supply pipe fixed centrally to the drum and having branches located in close proximity to the periphery of the drum and discharging outward through the same, a drain for the pan, a plurality of rollers rotatably carried by the frame, endless feeding belts engaged around the rollers, certain of said belts passing through the pan and under the drum to convey the paper through the washin fluid, other rollers rotatably journaled 1n the frame, endless belts engaged around certain of said rollers, an apron en- 

